The recovery of smaller surface water vessels, such as manned or unmanned surface water vessels (USVs), by larger parent ships is an emerging technology. Once recovered by the parent ship, servicing operations such as fueling may be performed. Typically, the recovery of a smaller vessel is accomplished by driving the smaller vessel alongside a stationary parent ship and lifted by davit into the ship. Alternatively, the smaller water vessel may be driven up a ramp into the larger ship.
Traditional methods of capturing smaller surface water vessels can cause damage to the hull of the smaller vessel. For example, some USVs weigh about 20,000 lbs and are made from materials such as aluminum. A capturing method that for example, requires the USV to be driven into a parent ship or be lifted and dropped onto the parent ship can cause damage to the aluminum hull, resulting in expensive repairs. The prior art does not teach a method and apparatus that captures the smaller vessel in a controlled manner away from the parent ship in order to perform servicing operations such as fueling.